Ah, I’m always delighted to have interesting new music fall into my lap – surely you, dear reader, feel the same way. It’s just too enticing to come across something that tickles all your fancies with relative ease. Well, I think what we have in store for you today should trigger that very same reaction. Everything Is Noise proudly presents “In The Clouds”, the new two-part song by English art rock/jazz/world ensemble Yaatri from Leeds.
Formed in 2018, Yaatri is led by composer/guitarist Liam Narain DeTar, who has in turn assembled drummer Jona Tromp, bassist Joe Wilkes, pianist Felix Bertulis-Webb, and vocalist B-âhwe to round out the project’s roster. As they state themselves, they are ‘influenced by the momentum of the rhythms of India, immersive timbres of electronic music, and energy of rock and roll‘; all of these touchstones can be identified throughout their music, amongst many other flavors gathered from around the world.
Their previous efforts (including their début single “Waiting on the Sun” and their 2020 Reach EP) have garnered them much recognition across Britain and beyond, and I don’t think that “In The Clouds” will fare much differently. Don’t just take my word for it, though – click play below, and find yourself soaring through the sky. I’ll see you on the flipside.
“In The Clouds Pt. 1” begins on a remarkably medieval note, with acoustic guitars and beguiling chants by B-âhwe, only to shift into almost Latin territories through the inclusion of soft percussion before becoming a tad more muscular later on. An angular guitar motif underpins the delicate stylings from before, giving them a propulsive drive and hinting at a powerful resolution, which comes in the form of the song’s rocking chorus. This is art rock in the truest sense of the word, transforming the standard rock music procedure into something sublime through little twists and outside influences. Especially B-âhwe’s vocals are consistently entrancing, although picking out just one highlight would belie the strong efforts made by all members.
Part two initially takes things down a couple of notches, beginning with a soft piano motif and some more wordless vocalizations. It’s a highly effective reprieve from the previous part’s soaring finale, evening out the energy for another go at the listener’s attention span. This comes in the form of guitars and an almost drum’n’bass-esque drum beat not 50 seconds into part two, which quickly take things into a more rock-oriented direction once more, pushing towards another climactic crescendo to end today’s premiere on a high note.
As you can see, Yaatri are very adept at taking various influences and making them their own through tasteful composition and engaging musicianship. The two sides of the same coin presented by “In The Clouds” fit together exceptionally well, which bodes well for whatever the band are cooking up next.
If you are anything like me and liked what you’ve heard today, be sure to give Yaatri a follow on their social media (Facebook | Instagram) to stay in touch with them; you might want to check out their website for the same purpose. Their début full-length Lucid is slated for release sometime this autumn – no official date has been revealed thus far – so be sure to keep an eye out for that as well. In the meantime, why not check out their Reach EP on Bandcamp to sweeten the wait a little?
